Styx - Renegade - Guitar Lesson

About Renegade

Few hard rock songs hit as hard on guitar as "Renegade" by Styx, pulled from their 1979 album Pieces of Eight. The song sits in E minor at a steady 120 BPM in standard tuning, which keeps things approachable technically while still demanding real commitment from your picking hand. The driving, galloping rhythm part is the backbone of the whole track, and locking it in with the right attack and consistency is where most players need to focus first. The descending E minor riff that kicks the song off is deceptively simple to read but needs a confident, aggressive tone to land the way it does on the record. Getting the feel right matters more than speed here, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop that opening figure slowed down until the pick attack and muting feel natural. Once the rhythm is solid, the interplay between melody and chord movement in the verses opens up as a genuinely satisfying part to dig into. Progressive Rock phrasing rewards patience, and this song is a clear example of why.

• The song is in E minor with standard tuning, so no retuning is needed and the open low E string gives the main riff its characteristic weight.
• The galloping rhythm part requires consistent alternate picking and tight palm muting to capture the driving feel the track is built around.
• At 120 BPM the tempo is moderate, but keeping pick attack even across the whole song is the real challenge most guitarists underestimate.